Sept. 18, 2001
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This Week: Aloha!
The Broncos are looking forward to a two-match road trip against 12th-ranked Hawaii (4-4) this Friday and Saturday. The Wahine advanced to last year's Final Four in the NCAA Tournament and finished the season ranked third. The matches will be televised in Hawaii on KFVE-TV and will also be offered online in a separate internet audio broadcast, courtesy of KCCN. SantaClaraBroncos.com offers a link to the broadcast.
Match Canceled in Response to National Tragedy
Responding to the national tragedy, Santa Clara University canceled its scheduled Tuesday volleyball match against Sacramento State and decided not to travel to Minnesota for the Diet Coke Classic. Additionally, all law school classes were also canceled and the University moved its annual Convocation to the Mission Church for a community prayer service. Information on the possibility of rescheduling the Sacramento State match has not been released.
University Athletic Events Reshuffled Through Weekend
Santa Clara University sporting event schedules were affected through the weekend in sympathy to the national tragedy that occurred Tuesday. In addition to volleyball, the women's soccer showdown against Notre Dame, set for Friday, was cancelled, although both teams are working to find an alternate date. Sunday afternoon's meeting against California has been pushed back to today and will be played at 7:30 p.m., while men's soccer canceled a Wednesday night meeting against San Jose State and one on Saturday against Sacramento State, rescheduled for Nov. 14 and Oct. 30, respectively.
More on Hawaii
Although the Wahine post a 4-4 record, all four losses have been to top-10 nationally-ranked opponents, including No. 1 Nebraska to open the season. Santa Clara last met Hawaii in 1996, with the Broncos falling in three straight games. The Wahine is the preseason favorite to win the Western Athletic Conference and is led by Kim Willoughby's 5.81 kills per game average.
Falling Only to the Best
Santa Clara has not lost to an unranked opponent in its last 50 matches. The last time SCU fell to an unranked foe dates back to the 1999 season, an Oct. 23 loss to WCC rival Loyola Marymount in four games. The Broncos' only loss this season was to 23rd-ranked South Carolina and all five of the team's losses in 2000 were also to ranked opposition.
In the WCC
Santa Clara leads the West Coast Conference in kills (17.07 per game), assists (15.40 per game) and digs (19.57 per game). Individually, sophomore Kelli Sousa is averaging almost two assists more per game than other league setters to lead that category with a 13.73 mark. Three Broncos are ranked in kills, with Jami Bari leading the way with the fourth-best mark, a 4.00 average. Toni Muratore is right behind her, averaging 3.93 kills per game, and Becky Potter is seventh, with a 3.55 kills per game average. In digs, Merrin Thompson is third in the WCC with a 3.67 per game stat and Bari is right behind her, averaging 3.43 digs per game.
Season/Match Tickets On Sale
Season and individual match tickets for Santa Clara Volleyball are on sale through the school's official website www.SantaClaraBroncos.com and the athletic ticket office at 408-554-4660. In conjunction with Student Advantage's FANSonly Network, the athletic department has developed an online ticket application that provides fans with the ability to purchase season tickets, family plans, individual games or an all-sports pass via the official athletic website. Season and individual match ticket packages are also available through the athletic ticket office, open between the hours of 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.